The Flower Ornament Scripture

 

A Translation of the Avatamsaka Sutra

Thomas Cleary

BOOK SIXTEEN

 

16. Religious Practice

 

 

THEN THE GODLING Right Mindfulness said to the enlightening  being Truth Wisdom, "In all worlds, enlightening beings, fol lowing the teaching of the Enlightened Ones, dye their clothing and leave home to become mendicants : how can they attain purity of religious practice, and from the state of enlightening reach the path of unexcelled enlightenment?"

Truth Wisdom said, "Great enlightening beings, when performing religious practice, should attentively contemplate ten things objectively: the body, physical action, speech, verbal action, mind, mental action, Buddha, the Teaching, the religious  community,  and the precepts. They should contemplate in this way: Is the body religious practice? And so on, down to : Arc precepts religious practice? If the body were religious practice, then religious practice would be not  good, it would not be the true teaching, it would be defiled, it would be impure,  it would be foul, it would be unclean, it would be disgusting, it would be intractable, it would be defined, it would be a corpse,  it would be a mass of microbes. If physical action were religious practice, then reli­ gious practice would be walking, standing, sitting, lying down, look­ ing around, up and down. If speech were religious  practice,  then religious practice would be sound and breath, chest, tongue, lips, exhalation and inhalation, constriction and relaxation, high and low, clear and unclear. If verbal activity were religious practice, then reli­ gious practice would be greetings, summary explanations, extensive explanations, metaphorical explanations, direct explanations, praise, criticism, definitions, explanations accommodated to conventions, clear explanations. If the mind were religious practice, then religious practice would be consideration and pondering, discrimination, various discrimi­ nations, conception,  various conceptions,  thought, various thoughts, acts of illusion and dreams. If mental activity were religious practice, then religious practice would be ideas, cold and heat, hunger and thirst, pain and pleasure, sorrow and joy. If Buddha is religious practice, is material form to be considered Buddha? Is sensation Buddha? Is concep­ tion Buddha? Is action Buddha? Arc spiritual powers Buddha? Arc

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works Buddha? Are resulting consequences Buddha? If the Teaching is religious practice, is extinction the Teaching? Is nirvana the Teaching? Is nonbirth the Teaching? Is nonorigination the Teaching? Is inexplica­ bility the Teaching? Is nondiscrimination the Teaching? Is nonaction the Teaching? Is nonconjunction the Teaching? If the Community is reli­ gious p ractice, is heading for stream-entering the Community? Is the fruit of stream-entering  the Community?  Is  heading  for   the state   of on ce-returner the Community? Is the fruit of once-returner the Community? Is heading for the state of nonrcturner the Community? Is the fruit of nonrcturner the Community? Is heading for sainthood the Community? Is the fruit of sainthood the Community? A re those with the three super-knowledges the Community? Are those with the six paranormal powers the Community? If the precepts are religious practice, is the ordination altar the precepts? Is asking about purity the precepts? Is teaching proper manners the p recepts ? Is the threefold repetition the precepts? Is the instructor the precepts? Is the tutor the precepts? Is shaving o ff the hair the precepts? Is putting on the monastic garb the precepts? Is begging the precepts? Is right livelihood the precepts?

"Having contemplated thus, having no attachment to the body,  no

clinging to practice, no dwelling on doctrine, the past gone, the future not yet arrived, the present empty, there is no doer, no receiver of consequences;  this  time doesn't move,  another time doesn't shift-what thing is therein to be called religious practice? Where docs religious practice come from? Where is it? Who is the body? By whom is it performed? Docs it exist? Does it not exist? Is it form? Is it not form? Is it sensation? Is it not sensation? Is it conception? Is it not conception? Is it action? Is it not action? Is it consciousness? Is it not consciousness? Contemplating in this way, because the reality of religious practice cannot be apprehended, because the things of past,  present,  and future are all empty,  because the intellect has no attachment, because the mind has no obstruction, because the sphere of operation is nondual, because expedient means are free, because of acceptance of formless truth, because of contemplation of formless truth, because of knowing the Buddha's teaching is equanimous, because of ful filling all qualities of Buddhahood, is such practice called pure religious practice.

"Ten things should also be cultivated: knowledge of what is so and what is not; knowledge of past, present, and future consequences of actions; knowledge of all meditations, liberations, and concentrations; knowl edge of superiority and inferiority of facul ties; knowledge of all

kinds of understandings; knowledge of all kinds of realms; knowledge of where all paths lead; unhindered clairvoyance; unhindered knowl­ edge of past lives; knowledge of the eternal cancellation of habit energy. Contemplating each of these ten powers of the enlightened, in each power are innumerable meanings; one should ask about them, and a fter having heard about them should arouse a mind of great kindness and compassion and observe sentient beings without abandoning them,

 

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reflect on the teachings unceasingly, carry out superlative deeds without seeking rewards, comprehend that objects arc like dreams, like illusions, like reflections, like echoes, and like magical productions. If enlighten­ ing beings can unite with such contemplations, they will not entertain a dualistic understanding of things and all enlightening teachings will become evident  to them: at the time of their first determination they will immediately attain com plete perfect enlightenment, will know all things arc the mind's own nature,  and will perfect the body of wisdom and understand without relying on another. "